| Conducting body | Karnataka Examinations Authority (for the Revenue Department) (KEA). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Grama Adalitha Adhikari (Village Administrative Officer), Revenue Department |
| Qualification | A pass in PUC (Class 12) or an equivalent qualification, such as CBSE/ICSE Class 12 or NIOS senior secondary. Some three-year diplomas are accepted as equivalent under government orders. A later KEA notice added the 3+1-year JTTC diploma. |
| Age limit | 18–40 years on Last date for online applications (30 July 2026 in the notification; later extended to 20 August 2026) (general category) |
| Domicile | See the notification |
| Selection stages | Written competitive exam: two objective papers, offline OMR → Kannada language test for candidates who are not exempt (qualifying) → At least 35% in the competitive exam to qualify → KEA sends district-wise merit lists, based on marks and reservation, to the Deputy Commissioners → Document verification and appointment at district level |
| Latest notification | Grama Adalitha Adhikari recruitment 2026, non-Kalyana-Karnataka (RPC) districts · 505 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About Karnataka VAO
Grama Adalitha Adhikari, or Village Administrative Officer, is a village-level Group C post in Karnataka's Revenue Department. KEA ran the 2026 recruitment for 505 posts in 21 districts outside the Kalyana-Karnataka region, and the Kalyana-Karnataka districts have their own notification. It is a district-cadre post: you may apply for one district only, and that district's Deputy Commissioner is the appointing authority.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 18–40 years, counted on Last date for online applications (30 July 2026 in the notification; later extended to 20 August 2026).
Age relaxation
- OBC: 3 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- PwBD: 10 years
- Upper age limit is 40 for general merit, 43 for Category 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B, and 45 for SC, ST and Category-1. These figures already include a one-time 5-year relaxation under a government order dated 29 January 2026.
- Ex-servicemen get their period of service plus 3 years. Persons with disabilities and widows get 10 extra years.
Qualification
A pass in PUC (Class 12) or an equivalent qualification, such as CBSE/ICSE Class 12 or NIOS senior secondary. Some three-year diplomas are accepted as equivalent under government orders. A later KEA notice added the 3+1-year JTTC diploma.
Other conditions
- If you did not study Kannada at SSLC or a higher level and are not otherwise exempt, you must pass a 150-mark Kannada language test with at least 50 marks.
- You may apply for only one district.
Selection process
- Written competitive exam: two objective papers, offline OMR
- Kannada language test for candidates who are not exempt (qualifying)
- At least 35% in the competitive exam to qualify
- KEA sends district-wise merit lists, based on marks and reservation, to the Deputy Commissioners
- Document verification and appointment at district level
Exam pattern
Paper 1
Mode: Offline OMR, objective · Duration: 2 hours · Negative marking: 0.25 mark deducted for each wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| General knowledge | 100 | 100 |
Paper 2
Mode: Offline OMR, objective · Duration: 2 hours · Negative marking: 0.25 mark deducted for each wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| General Kannada, General English and computer knowledge | 100 | 100 |
Karnataka VAO syllabus
Paper 1: General knowledge
- Current events
- Everyday general awareness
- Outline of the Indian Constitution
- History of India with focus on Karnataka
- Geography of India with focus on Karnataka
- State and local administration
- Development of Karnataka's economy, including rural development, panchayat raj bodies and rural cooperatives
- Environmental and development issues in Karnataka
Paper 2
- General Kannada
- General English
- Computer knowledge
What they ask
Each paper has 100 objective questions in two hours, one mark per question. Paper 1 leans towards Karnataka: history, geography and the economy are all framed around the state, together with the Constitution, current events and rural administration. Paper 2 tests working Kannada, English and basic computer knowledge. Every question has four options, and a wrong answer costs 0.25 of a mark.
How to prepare
- Revise Karnataka's rural set-up: gram panchayats, taluk and zilla panchayats, and rural cooperatives appear directly in the Paper 1 syllabus.
- Paper 2 mixes general Kannada, general English and computer knowledge. Practise grammar in both languages along with basic computer terms.
- You need 35% to qualify and each wrong answer costs 0.25, so avoid guessing blind on questions you cannot narrow down.
- You can apply for only one district and merit is prepared district-wise, so check that district's vacancy table in the notification before applying.
Practise Karnataka VAO syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
Karnataka VAO FAQs
Some can. The notification accepts certain three-year diplomas as equivalent to PUC under government orders, and a KEA notice dated 17 August 2026 added the 3+1-year JTTC diploma. Check your course against the orders listed in the notification.
Sources
- KEA Grama Adalitha Adhikari (RPC) notification dated 10 July 2026 (PDF) ↗ (official, checked )
- KEA notice on diploma eligibility and extended last date, 17 August 2026 (PDF) ↗ (official, checked )
- KEA Grama Adalitha Adhikari recruitment 2026 (RPC) page ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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